Wimbledon 2017 | Roger Federer crushes Marin Cilic to claim record eighth Wimbledon title

ByRohit George, SportsCafe Editor

07/16/2017

Roger Federer outclassed Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 to claim his eighth Wimbledon title and his 19th Grand Slam overall. The Swiss maestro was at his dominant best throughout the final and barely broke a sweat during the encounter as he became the first man to win eight Wimbledon titles.

Federer makes Cilic pay for his errors

Both Cilic and Federer made cautious starts as they managed to hold their serves for the first three games of the first set. But in the fourth game of the set, with Federer on serve, Cilic managed to secure the first break point of the final at 40-30 but was not able to convert it to a game point as his return allowed Federer to come back and hold his serve and tie the game at two-all. The Swiss maestro carried the same momentum in the next game and raced to 40-love lead in no time and had three break points. And on the third one, Federer managed to break Cilic for the first time in the match when Cilic hit a tame backhand into the net. Having gone a break up, Federer consolidated his lead with a quick service game during which he held his serve to go 4-2 up in the first set. Although the Croat managed to hold his next service game, the initial break proved to be decisive as the 18-time Grand slam winner managed another quick service hold to go 5-3 up. With Cilic on serve at deuce in the ninth game, a long return from the world no.6 handed Federer his first set point and a double fault from Cilic sealed the first set 6-3 in Federer’s favour.

Federer hits cruise control in the second set

Federer started the second set holding his serve to love to clinch the first game and then did well to break Cilic in the second game to take a commanding 2-0 lead. The 35-year-old soon consolidated his position in the match with another quick hold to make it 3-0 in his favour. Cilic suffered an injury scare before the beginning of the fourth game and took a medical timeout to treat his foot, which literally reduced him to tears. Owing to the injury, the Croat decided to keep the rallies short as he began to come to the net and eventually a drop volley from that position helped him register his first game of the second set with the score now at 1-3. Two games later, a return from Cilic that went long handed Federer a 5-1 lead and the Swiss ace sealed the second set in the style with an ace, holding his serve to love yet again.

Federer rewrites Wimbledon history

Cilic started the third set with another extended medical time-out to treat his foot injury and that seemed to be making a difference as he managed to put up some sort of a fight in the beginning of the third set. But with Cilic on serve at 3-3 in the third set, the Croat somehow managed to hit what would have been an easy winner into the net and Federer made him pay as he broke him soon after to go up 4-3. Federer then took a step closer to creating history as he forced Cilic to hit a return on the run into the net. Even though Cilic managed to hold his next service game, he was simply delaying the inevitable as Federer sealed his eighth Wimbledon title in the next game with an ace down the line.